BBQ to follow walk provided by Paul Herrod

The JLAP Chris Thomas Memorial Walk: A Walk in Memory

Over 4 years ago, we held the first Chris Thomas Memorial Walk with Mike Dowling walking fifty miles over five days and raising money to honor his friend, Chris through donating to this cause that was so dear to Chris’ heart. Let me share the story with you.

The Beginning in Mike’s Own Words

Chris and I were childhood friends, college roommates, fishing buddies, fraternity brothers, married each other’s best friends, and had our daughters around the same time. Obviously our lives were intertwined and even though my move to the west coast interrupted our day to day interactions, his passing touched me very deeply.

After the funeral I was reminiscing with Chris’ children about the many “adventures” we had over the years and the subject of our craziest one came up. I still can’t believe we did this but when we were 14 years old, Chris, another friend Marty Snyderman, and I walked from Little Rock to Hot Springs in a single day, a distance of 52 miles. Memory has long since faded as to what possessed us to do this but I think it had something to do with President Kennedy’s challenge for youth physical fitness. Regardless, we made in about 19 hours, walking on the side of a busy highway in our low top Chuck Taylors and only one pair of socks. Somehow we survived and it was a bond the three of us shared until Chris’ death.

During one of my regular walks around the neighborhood I was thinking of Chris and it hit me. I’m going to do it again. This time it will be in his honor and I hope to raise a little money for a cause that was very important to Chris, the Arkansas Judges & Lawyers Assistance Program. This is an organization that Chris helped start and he was instrumental in the program’s development. In fact, Chris was honored for his contributions by the group at their annual gala just two months prior to his death. In speaking with his wife, Mary, about my plans and whether or not there was an organization that she would recommend, AR JLAP was the easy choice.

Remembrance In JLAP’s Words

Without Chris Thomas’ beautiful language, his attention to detail, and his commitment to helping those suffering from addiction and mental health problems in his legal community, and law students the JLAP Program would not be what it is today. Because this is what we do at JLAP—we are there for those judges, lawyers, their family members, and law students who are in pain, and we offer them a way “home” to their true selves. Chris shepherded the program from its infancy into a respected place in the eyes of Arkansas’ lawyers and judges. We at JLAP are proud to honor Chris by enlarging the scope of this walk to include others who have also touched lives in their own ways.

The Walks

Mike walked 50 miles in October 2014, and many friends of his and Chris’ donated to JLAP to honor Chris’ memory and their friendship. Mike raised $5000.00 for the program that Chris helped create and continued to believe in and work for until the sudden end of his life. But Mike wanted to do more. So, this year, in April 2017, he will walk again, this time asking others to join in the walk—those who knew Chris or who have people they cared or care about in their lives to walk in memory or honor of them.

We all have someone in our lives who has touched us deeply. Whether they are still with us or are no longer. This is our opportunity to do something good, the thing we wished in our hearts that we could always do. This is our opportunity to take action, to honor our friends and loved ones.

…and to have a pretty good time doing it together!

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